Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad are set for a rematch.
The two will face off in the main event of UFC 304 on Saturday night at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, in a rematch of a bout that ended prematurely as a no contest after a poke in the eye in 2021. Edwards has won four straight since then, including a win over Colby Covington in December, while Muhammad comes into the bout on a five-fight winning streak.
[Related: How to watch UFC 304 without cable]
Tom Aspinall started well in the co-main event, successfully defending his interim heavyweight championship belt against Curtis Blaydes with a first round knockout win. Aspinall knocked Blaydes down with a left and then narrowly missed a right hand to the head, sending Blaydes reeling to the mat. Aspinall then pounced and landed a flurry of head shots, forcing the referee to stop the bout one minute into the match.
The win was Aspinall’s revenge for his loss to Blaydes in 2022. Blaydes defeated Aspinall, who went down with a leg injury just 15 seconds into the bout. Aspinall is now 15-3. He has won three straight bouts since his loss to Blaydes, most recently defeating Sergey Pavlovich in the first round at UFC 295 last fall. Blaydes is now 18-5 overall, having lost two of his last three fights.
Check out tonight’s UFC 304 and Edwards vs. Muhammad fight on Yahoo Sports:
Live115 Update
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:55 AM GMT+5:30Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:50 AM GMT+5:30
Next up: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title
About him: Edwards is the UFC welterweight champion, having won the title in a dramatic, movie-like come-from-behind knockout of Kamaru Usman. Muhammad has been winning and desperate for a title shot, but his lack of star power has made him less appealing to the UFC.
Why it matters: Not only is the belt on the line, but so are bragging rights for two men who have a history and don’t care about each other. Their fight in 2021 ended in a no contest after Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye. The hatred between them boiled over here as Muhammad vowed to beat Edwards with ease. They both want to win, but they absolutely hate losing to each other. That may be a stronger motivator than the title.
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:49 AM GMT+5:30
I really hope we don’t get to a situation where Jon Jones doesn’t give us a fight against Francis Ngannou or Tom Aspinall.
— Luke Thomas 🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) July 28, 2024
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:46 AM GMT+5:30
“Hi John…I just think I’m better than you.”
Aspinall chastised Jon Jones as politely as possible: “Record it. That. Fight it.”
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) July 28, 2024
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:45 AM GMT+5:30
Aspinall says he would like to see Whyte face Jon Jones
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:44 AM GMT+5:30
Will Jon Jones pick up the phone to fight Tom Aspinall or not?
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) July 28, 2024
There is no reason to consider Jones the champion. His one fight in this division is against an inactive contender preparing to retire. Aspinall is the UFC HW champion.
— Kaposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) July 28, 2024
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:44 AM GMT+5:30Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:43 AM GMT+5:30
The saddest thing about Aspinall probably never facing Jon Jones is that beyond that, he has very few options left.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) July 28, 2024
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:43 AM GMT+5:30
Result: Tom Aspinall defeats Curtis Blaydes by knockout with punches (Round 1, 1 minute)
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:41 AM GMT+5:30
Tom Aspinall just needed 60 seconds.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) July 28, 2024
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:41 AM GMT+5:30
And it’s done!
Aspinall caught Blaze with a powerful blow, knocking him to the ground and finishing him off.
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:39 AM GMT+5:30Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:38 AM GMT+5:30Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:28 AM GMT+5:30
Moicano answers Paddy’s call
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:26 AM GMT+5:30
I was just about to turn away so I didn’t see his arm break, but by the time I did he was already unconscious. Crazy. https://t.co/DiGeq7shn2
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) July 28, 2024
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:25am GMT+5:30
Paddy takes on Renato Moicano, ranked #10 in the lightweight division
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:24 AM GMT+5:30
Next up is the heavyweight bout, Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes.
Who they are: Aspinall is the interim heavyweight champion, a big, athletic guy with plenty of knockout power. Blaydes is a heavyweight grinder who’s made a living by causing trouble without ever coming close to being a star, but if you can’t wrestle, he’ll probably find out.
Why it matters: The winner of this fight will either face the winner of Jones vs. Miocic (which would likely be Jones) or he’ll eventually become the champion. The betting odds are heavily favored in Aspinall’s favor, and the UFC is likely counting on him being alive when the fight ends. Combat sports fans love heavyweights with one-punch power. If Aspinall wins, he’ll likely begin a campaign right away to convince Jones to stay in the fight.
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:20 AM GMT+5:30
Result: Paddy Pimblett defeated King Green via submission (triangle choke) at 3:22 of the first round
Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:19 AM GMT+5:30Sunday, July 28, 2024 9:19 AM GMT+5:30
Well, I didn’t expect Green to attempt a takedown and now I can see why that was a bad idea, he lunged into Pimblett’s kitchen and got himself choked out.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) July 28, 2024